


Beaten: A Sorry State

by deebainwonderland



Series: Irondad Whumptober [19]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Parent Tony Stark, Platonic Cuddling, Precious Peter Parker, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, whumptober2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 12:09:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21208307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deebainwonderland/pseuds/deebainwonderland
Summary: Peter and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.#whumptober2019 #no.28 #beaten





	Beaten: A Sorry State

Peter felt more than heard someone settling down on the couch next to him. Not needing to open his eyes to see who is was, Peter let out a little whine. He was curled uncomfortably against one side of the couch, head tilted back onto the hard edge. 

An arm carefully wrapped around his waist as a leg slipped around his side. Peter allowed himself to be gently pulled over and down. A moment later he was curled on a warm chest. 

Peter whined again, low and pained, as he twisted around to take pressure off his back. He craned up to shove his head underneath the other’s chin.

“Shhh, babe.” 

Wiggling for another moment, Peter finally settled and couldn’t quite keep himself from moaning in relief as a hand began to move gently through his hair. 

Today had been a complete and utter disaster. Peter went from failing his Spanish test to getting his ass thoroughly handed to him by a curiously well-armed group of professional thugs. 

Both of those instances weren’t awesome, but they also weren’t out of the realm of normalcy. Being a teenager superhero was no joke. 

What was out of the realm of the ordinary, was the fight that erupted after. No, not with the thugs, that Peter could have handled. 

A fight with Tony Stark? Not so much.

Circling back to the Tower, Peter slipped in through one of the high windows. Tony was in the city to deal with some Stark Industries business and Peter had enthusiastically agreed to spend the weekend with him. Since the Snap, the two rarely got any time alone. When Peter came back to life, he'd discovered that his mentor now had a wife and even more shockingly, a child. Both of whom Peter adored, of course, but it was nice to have some time with just the two of them. More like it had been before the five years of death. 

However, the excitement had been short-lived. Tony took one look at the bruises criss-crossing around Peter’s neck and the way the boy was heavily favoring his left leg and began to yell. Startled, Peter just stood there, leaning against the wall for support as his mentor shouted at him for being careless and something about not immediately calling him. 

If this hadn’t already been a total screw-up day, Peter might have let it all slide. But he wasn’t fifteen anymore. In fact, he wasn’t entirely sure how old he was because, you know, he’d been dead for a good portion of his life.

Peter held up one hand and something in his face must have startled Tony because the man abruptly cut off, staring at him with wide eyes. 

“I’m beat to hell, Mr. Stark, and I’m really not in the mood for a lecture. Also, I’m fine, thanks for asking.” 

And with that, Peter pushed passed Tony and went to his room to change. It was only when he was struggling to pull his shirt over his head without moving his arms too much that Peter registered what he had just done. 

Groaning at what a colossal mess this whole day had been, Peter went back to the living room to collapse on the couch. Tony joined him a few minutes later, pulling the injured boy to him. Which is where they ended up now, curled around each other in the otherwise silent tower. 

“M’ sorry,” Peter muttered into the man’s neck, twisting in an endless attempt to get closer.

It was a battle they both fought. Tony arms tightened around him and snaked one hand up to gently rub a thumb over the bruises on Peter’s neck. 

“No, Jesus Christ, kid, don’t apologize to me. I’m the one who's sorry. I should have started with asking if you were alright instead of just jumping down your throat. I was just... worried.” 

“Mr. Rhodes says you have an overactive parental gland,” Peter muttered.

Tony huffed a laugh. “Not sure that’s a real thing. Though, probably, yeah.” 

They sat in silence for a few minutes, before Tony tilted down to press a kiss to the top of the boy’s head. “Are you ok, Pete?”

“You haven’t already scanned me?” Peter asked with a smile. 

“You know I have,” Tony replied with a laugh, curling a strand of Peter’s hair around and around in his fingers. “But I still want to hear it for you, kiddo.”

“Bad day,” murmured Peter. “But yes. I’m ok. I’m happy to be with you now.”

Tony groaned and dug the heel of one of his hands into his forehead. “I’m not sure why, kid. I’m not exactly winning any awards today.”

“Just scared,” Peter said, fighting to keep his eyes open. Laying on top of his mentor wasn’t exactly comfortable but the man himself was an endless source of comfort. Even when his terror made him an ass. 

“Yeah,” Tony sighed, dropping his hand down to rub Peter’s shoulder. “You should’ve seen me when Morgan got a splinter.” 

Peter huffed a laugh that turned into a hiss as he shifted slightly and pain shot through his abdomen. 

“Uh-huh, sure, sounds like you’re totally ok,” Tony said. He reached down and lifted the bottom of Peter’s shirt to take a look at the bruises coloring his chest. 

Peter felt Tony stiffen underneath him at the sight. He shifted over to press against the back of the couch and turned to lay on his side, still half on top of his mentor. “You know they’ll be healed by the morning, Mr. Stark.”

Tony sighed, allowing the tension to drain away. _ Keep it together Stark. Your job is to comfort the damn kid, not freak him out even more. _

He twisted his head awkwardly to press another kiss to the boy’s head. “I know that in my head, kiddo. It’s the parental gland that needs more convincing.”

Peter chuckled. “Cuddles always seem to help with that.”

“Kid, do you really have to call it cuddling?” Tony groaned.

Lifting his head to prop his chin on a fist, Peter looked over at his mentor. Tony stared back at him with a raised eyebrow, a slight flush of embarrassment coloring his checks. 

Peter felt a sudden, intense rush of fondness for the man. The two had been negotiating this intense post-Snap relationship for a while and sometimes Peter wasn’t sure what to do with this softer Tony Stark who still looked at him like Peter was a miracle. 

Tony never did anything by half and that included loving the very few people he let into his heart. Peter felt privileged to be one of the chosen few, even with Tony’s unfortunate habit of confusing worry for anger.

“Hate to break it to you, Mr. Stark, but this is a prime example of cuddling.” 

With a snort, Tony reached over to gently push Peter’s head back on his shoulder. “Whatever you say, kiddo. Don’t ruin the moment.”

Peter laughed and settled back. Silence rose over the two, the anger from before now simply a memory. Peter was thankful that he wasn’t just an awestruck kid and Tony wasn’t just a reluctant bystander anymore. This mutual love thing was much preferable. 

His chest and neck still hurt and Peter knew he was in for an uncomfortable night. But as he lay there with Tony’s fingers moving gently through his hair, Peter couldn’t help thinking that he was the lucky one.

Maybe this day wasn’t so bad after all. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a kudo and/or comment if you enjoyed!


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